Condensation eliminator for flush tanks



Oct. 1, 1957 D. B. PERKINS CONDENSATION ELIMINATOR FOR FLUSH TANKS FiledSept. 15, 1953 INVENTOR l ATTORNEYS United States Patent CONDENSATIONELIMINATOR FOR FLUSH TANKS Dowd B. Perkins, Mason City, Iowa ApplicationSeptember 15, 1953, Serial No. 380,226

2 Claims. Cl. 236-12) This invention relates to a device for eliminatingcondensation on the outer surface of a flush tank wall. Moreparticularly, the invention has reference to a blending container havingan outlet to a flush tank and having hot and cold water inlets, the coldwater inlet being valved with the valve of the cold water inlet beingopened thermostatically, responsive to elevation of the temperaturewithin the blending container above an optimum level.

It is well appreciated in the art to which the invention relates thatthe formation of condensation on the outer surface of a flush tank wallis a serious problem. In many instances, said condensation is so severeas to cause an almost continuous dripping of water onto the floor belowthe flush tank. The main object of the present invention, accordingly,is to provide a device for eliminating condensation under conditions ofthe type stated, and it is a more particular object of the presentinvention to provide a condensation eliminating device which will be sodesigned as to be readily associated with conventional flush tanksalready in use.

Another object of importance is to provide a device of the type statedwhich will include a thermostatic means disposed within a blendingcontainer, said thermostatic means being so designed as to insure thatthe water flowing out of the container into the flush tank will bemainatined at a temperature sufficiently above the normal or ambient airtemperature to insure that condensation will not occur.

Another object is to provide a device of the character referred to whichwill be so designed as to make use, for the most part, of individualparts which are conventional per se, thereby to permit the device to bemanufac-. tured at relatively low cost.

Still another object is to provide a condensation eliminating device inwhich the thermostatic means can be preset in such a manner as to insurethat the valve associated with said thermostatic means will open at aselected temperature elevation, the temperature at which the valve is toopen being any one of various temperatures falling within a prescribedrange. By reason of this arrangement, it is proposed to adapt device isthus rendered usable in various situations in which room temperaturesvary considerably.

A further object of importance is to provide a device which will becharacterized by its ease of installation, and by its ruggedness andadaptability for use over a substantial period of time without requiringrepair or mainte nance.

Other objects will appear from the following description, the appendedclaims thereto, and from the annexed drawing, in which like referencecharacters designate like parts throughout the several views, andwherein:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through a condensationeliminator formed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional view on line 22 of Figure 1;

the device for. use under various conditions, and it is apparent thatthe Figure 3 is a sectional view on line 3-3 of Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary bottom plan view.

The reference numeral 10 has been applied in the drawing to acylindrical container permanently closed at one end and formed open atits other end. The open end of the container is provided with a lid 12,said lid being peripherally flanged with the flange portion of the lidbeing welded or otherwise fixedly attached to the adjacent surface ofthe container wall.

In the end of the container remote from the lid 12, there is formed acenter opening, said opening providing an outlet for blended water, inwhich outlet a connecting fitting 14 can be mounted. The fitting 14 isso designed as to permit a pipe, not shown, to be readily attachedthereto at one end of the pipe, the pipe leading to a flush tank,alsonot shown. As a result, the water supplied to the flush tank will bedirected through the blending container 10, rather than directly from asource of cold water as is customary under normal conditions.

Formed in the lid 12 is a hot water inlet opening 16, in which ismounted a hot water inlet fitting 18. Connected to fitting 18 is theoutlet end of a hot water supply pipe 20, the pipe 20 being connected tothe fitting 18 exteriorly of the container 10 by means of a nipple 22.

Within the container, there is threadedly connected to the fitting 18 anL. 24, the L 24 being so arranged as to have the outlet end thereofdisposed centrally within the container, in position to cause hot waterto be' discharged along lines extending transversely of the container.

Adjacent the inlet 16, there is formed a cold water inlet 26, havingthreads engaging complementary threads provided upon one end of acylindrical thermostat housing 28. Housing 28, at one end, projectsexteriorly of the container, said end of the housing being outwardlyflanged as at 30, thus to provide an abutment that will engage the outersurface of the container lid 12, to limit movement of the housing 23inwardly of the container.

Provided upon the other end of the housing 28 are external threadsengaging internal threads of a collar or sleeve 32. Threadedly engagedin the sleeve 32 is a spider 34 (Figure 2) having a central hub 33extending in a direction away from the housing 28. A center opening isprovided in the hub 33 in which is slidably mounted one end portion of ashaft 36, so that the boss or hub 33 constitutes a guide centering theshaft in the housing 28and affords a support for the shaft 36.

The shaft 36 extends longitudinally and centrally of the housing 28, andcircumposed about'the shaft within the housing is a spirally coiledbimetallic strip38. Strip 38, at one end adjacent shaft 36, as bypassing through a slot provided therein,

the strip being seated at-its other end upon the spider 34. Thebimetallic strip 38 is so designed as to expand in the direction. of thelength of the shaft 36 responsive to a rise in the water temperaturewithin theblending container.

Since the spider 34 upon which the coiled strip 38 is seated is movablelongitudinally of sponse to the threading of the sleeve 32, uponthreaded end of housing 28, the strip 38 can be selectively adjusted topredeterminedly control the temperature at which the strip will expand.This adjustment is accomplished by threading the sleeve 32 farther ontothe threaded end of the housing 28 thereby causing the coils of thestrip 38 to contract hence imparting a greater stress to the coilcausing the coil 38 to operate responsive to a lesser tem-.

perature rise while by backing off sleeve 32, the distance between thecoils of strip 38 will increase and a greater temperature rise will berequired to have the strip 38 expand.

Fixedly connected to the other end of the shaft 36 is a disc valve 40having a gasket 42 secured to its under Patented Oct. 1, 1957- the lid12, is anchored to the the housing 28in; re-Z l 3 side, the gasket 42being engageable against the flanged end 30 of the thermostat housing28. The valve 40 is normally closed, and is disposed within the bellshaped end 44 of a cold water inlet fitting 46 in which is secured theoutlet-end of a cold -water'supplvpipe 48. At-. its belled end, thefitting 46 is outwardly flanged at circumferentially spaced locations(Figure 3 the spaced flanges or" ears ofthe housing being apertured for'extensionof connecting bolts 50 --therethrough.- The-bolts 50 arethreaded in recesses provided in bosses 52 formed upon the lid 12.

The valve 40 is normally maintained in a closed position; under pressureof water moving in the direction of the container 10 through the coldwater supply pipe 48; The hot water inlet, however, iscontinuouslyopen,-;and as a result, when water begins to flow out of thecontainer-10-through the outlet'14 towarda flush tank, responsive toemptying of the flush tank, the hot water flowing outof the L 24 will bedirected substantially against the bimetallic. strip 38... As a result,the strip 38 will, when the water has reached a prescribed temperature,expand to an extent sufficient to move the shaft 36 toward the lid 12 inthe direction of the length of the shaft;

to shift the valve 40 to an open position, causing cold water to beadmitted to the blending container. This will, as will be appreciated,maintain the temperature of water within the container 10 at apredetermined level foundto be the optimurn'elevation for preventingcondensationfrom forming on the hush tank wall. For example, undernormal conditions it would be proposed to cause water to flow out of theoutlet 14 into the flush tankat a constantly maintained temperature ofabout'105 degrees. This temperature is above that of normal or ambientair temperature surrounding the flush tank, and as a result,condensation will be precluded.

The thermostat setting can, of course, be varied as desired, dependingupon the temperature which the water within the flush tank should havein relation to the surrounding air. If the surrounding air is at a lowtemperature, the temperature of the water flowing through the tank canbe correspondingly reduced.

It is believed apparent that the invention is not necessarily confinedto the specific use or uses thereof described, since it may be utilizedfor any purpose to which it maybe suited. Nor is the invention to benecessarily limited to the specific construction illustrated and.de-.

scribed, since suchconstruction is only intendedto be illustrative ofthe principles of operation and the means presently devised-to carry outsaid principles, it being considered that the invention comprehends any.minor change in construction that may be permitted within the scopeof-the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A condensation eliminator for flush tanks comprising: a blendingcontainer having an outlet to a flush tank and having hotand cold waterinlets;,a normally closed disc valve on the container positioned tocontrol flow.

of water into the container through the cold water inlet, said discvalve being held inclosed position by pressure of water moving in thedirection of-the container through the cold water inlet; andthermostatiemeans mounted within the container connected to the valvefor opening the same against the opposing pressure of the water tendingto hold the valve in closed position, said thermostatic means operatingresponsive to elevation of the temperature of water within the blendingcontainer above an optimum level, whereby to maintain the temperature ofwater flowing through the outlet into the flush tank at said level, saidthermostatic means including a shaft secured at one end to the valve,guide means for the shaft mounted in the container for adjustment towardand away from the valve, said shaft being slidably mounted within theguide means for movement in the, direction of its length, saidthermostatic means further including a bimetallic strip seated upon andadjustable with the guide means, said thermostatic means being securedto the shaft and adapted to expand in the direction-of the length of theshaft, said bimetallic strip expanding responsive to the elevation ofthe temperature of water within the blending container above saidoptimum level.

2. A condensation eliminator forflush tanks-comprising: a blendingcontainer having' an-outlet to a-flush tank and'having hot and coldwater inlets; a normally closed disc valve on the container positionedtocontrol flow of water into the container; through the cold waterinlet, said disc valve being held in closed position by pressureof-water moving: in the direction of the container through the coldwater inlet; and thermostatic-means mounted within the containerconnected to'the valve for opening the same against'the opposingpressure of the water tend ing'to hold the valve in closed position,said thermostatic means operating responsive to elevation of-thetemperature of water within the blending container above an optimumlevel, whereby to maintain the temperature of waterfiowing through theoutlet into the flush tank at said level, said thermostatic meansincluding a shaft connected to the valve, an open-ended cylindricalhousing mounted within the container in position toconstitute a passagethrough which water will flow from the valved inlet to the containerinterior, the shaft-extending longitudinally and centrally ofthehousing, a spider mounted on the housing for adjustment longitudinallythereof to-. ward and away from-said valved inlet and including a hub inwhich the shaftis slidably engaged, and a thermostatic element havingone end seated upon the spider for disposition of said element in apredetermined, selected position of adjustment responsive to saidadjustment of the spider, and having its other end fixed to the shaft,said strip being adapted to expand in the direction of the length oftheshaft, the strip expanding responsive to the 'elevationof-theternperatureof water within the blending containerabovesaidoptimum level, whereby to unseat the valve and admitwaterthroughthe valved inlet to the housing for flow into the container.

References Cited'in the file'of'this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,211,481 Scott Aug. 13, 1940 2,310,975 Lund Feb. 16,1943 2,320,562Bransky June. 1, 1943 2,326,096 Dillman, Aug. 3, 1943 2,669,391 KelschFeb. 16,- 1954

